World Cup 2026 Qualifier India vs Qatar highlights: India lose 0-3 to Qatar

India vs Qatar football match highlights: Qatar would have won by a bigger margin had they not missed several chances while dominating throughout the 90 minutes at the Kalinga Stadium.

India had surprised the football fraternity when they soaked up waves of attacks to hold Qatar 0-0 on September 10, 2019 in their 2022 World Cup second-round qualifiers in Doha.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | Match to begin shortly

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | Head-to-Head Record

India and Qatar find themselves in the same group for the second consecutive time in the FIFA World Cup qualifying round. The Blue Tigers have yet to secure a victory against Qatar, having played three matches, with Qatar winning twice and one match ending in a draw. In 1996, India suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat against Qatar, but in 2019, they managed to secure a valuable point in Doha with a goalless draw. However, Stimac's side faced a narrow 0-1 defeat at home in the reverse fixture.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | Stimac hopes good show from India

Stimac was just a few months into India head coach's job in the 2019 match, and after four years, he feels a positive result against Qatar is "not unfeasible".

"We have analysed Qatar from every angle and position and know very well what they are capable of in terms of speed and strength. Their defensive and offensive positions are immaculate, which they demonstrated against Afghanistan by scoring eight goals," Stimac said.

"It is going to be very difficult, Qatar are one of the pre-tournament favourites from the group. We do not have high expectations but we know we have a chance and we have to grab that with both hands.

"The first and bigger part was accomplished by winning against Kuwait, now I want the boys to show their quality against Qatar," he said.

Igor Stimac with Sunil Chhetri. Photo: @IndianFootball

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | Qatar football history

Established in the 1960s, the Qatar Football Association affiliated with FIFA three years later. While Qatar has a rich history in continental football, their participation in the FIFA World Cup 2022 stands out as a significant milestone.

The Maroons secured their first AFC Asian Cup title in 2019, having qualified for every Asian Cup edition. They have also clinched the Arabian Gulf Cup three times and the WAFF Championship in 2014.

Despite their early exit from the World Cup 2022, Ghana-born Mohammed Muntari made history by becoming Qatar's first goal scorer in the tournament. Forward Hassan Al-Haydos, the current captain, boasts 129 appearances with 48 goal contributions. Qatar achieved its highest FIFA ranking of 42 in 2021 under head coach Felix Sanchez, as per a press release from the Indian Super League (ISL).

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | India's starting XI

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | India up against World Number 61

Qatar, ranked 61st in the FIFA rankings, boasts quality in their squad and holds the top spot in Group A. Tuesday's match promises to be a tough battle as the Blue Tigers aim to deliver their best performance at home and potentially upset one of Asia's football powerhouses.

In a parallel start to the qualifying round, both India and Qatar secured impressive wins against Afghanistan. Qatar dominated their match, utilising the width of the pitch and launching relentless attacks from the flanks, resulting in a resounding 8-1 victory. This commanding win will undoubtedly boost their confidence as they look forward to continuing their winning run in the Qualifiers.

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | India to miss key players

Sandhu would remember that he and India were lucky in Doha in 2019 as Ali was denied by the upright and the Indian custodian will have to marshal the defence, along with veteran Sandesh Jhinghan.

Head coach Igor Stimac could not use the services of both Ali and defensive midfielder Jeakson Singh in the Kuwait match due to injuries, and it was a blow to the plans of the Croatian tactician though India won the match.

Ali had suffered an ankle injury in Mohun Bagan's AFC Cup match against Bashundhara Kings of Bangladesh last month. Kerala Blasters player Jeakson suffered a shoulder injury in an Indian Super League match against Mumbai City FC and he had undergone a successful surgery early this month.

Midfield mainstay Sahal Abdul Samad and Manvir Singh, who scored the lone goal for India against Kuwait, were there in Doha four years ago and they would look to make life difficult for the Qataris, more so after the duo's good outing in Kuwait City.

Indian football team

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FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier: India vs Qatar Football LIVE SCORE | Preview in brief

India will take inspiration from their famous goal-less draw against Asian champions Qatar four years ago when they face the same opponents in a 2026 FIFA World Cup second round qualifiers match here on Tuesday.

Their confidence boosted after the 1-0 away win against Kuwait on November 16, India will hope to give a tough fight to Qatar, though the fancied visiting side will start as firm favourites.

India had surprised the football fraternity when they soaked up waves of attacks to hold Qatar 0-0 on September 10, 2019 in their 2022 World Cup second round qualifiers in Doha. Qatar were then in red-hot form, having won the Asia Cup title in early 2019.

Talismanic India captain Sunil Chhetri was absent in that match as he was indisposed and he would be eager to show his class at the Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday, though scoring chances for the hosts are expected to be far less than the visitors.

Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who had captained the team that night in Doha in front of a partisan expatriate crowd, will have to be at his best again on Tuesday to thwart the marauding Qataris as he had done four years ago.

Ranked 61 in the world, Qatar are coming off a 8-1 thrashing of Afghanistan in their earlier match in Doha on November 16, and they would be looking to make the record of the drawn game in 2019 straight with a dominating win against the 102nd-ranked India.

Qatar were 1-0 victors in the reverse fixture of the two teams in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.